1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to concrete quantity counters for ready mix trucks and more particularly pertains to a new concrete-dispensing counter for ready mix trucks for measuring the volume of concrete discharged by a ready mix concrete truck.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of concrete quantity counters for ready mix trucks is known in the prior art. More specifically, concrete quantity counters for ready mix trucks heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,275; U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,800; U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,128; U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,288; U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,163; U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,299; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,383.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new concrete-dispensing counter for ready mix trucks. The inventive device includes a prime mover having a drum being rotatably mounted thereupon and also having a discharge chute through which cement is dispensed from the drum; and also includes a light emitting/reflecting assembly being mounted to the prime mover and including a plurality of light reflectors being spacedly attached about an exterior of the drum opposite to the discharge chute and also including a light-emitting member and a light-detecting member being mounted to the prime mover; and further includes a microprocessor being connected to the light-emitting and the light-detecting members; and also includes a concrete-dispensing sensor being attached to the discharge chute and to the light emitting/reflecting assembly and to the microprocessor for actuating the light emitting/reflecting assembly and the microprocessor.
In these respects, the concrete-dispensing counter for ready mix trucks according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of measuring the volume of concrete discharged by a ready mix concrete truck.